ESL Learning Standards - Higher Ed - New York State Education ...

Standard 4:
Students will listen, speak, read, and write in English for
classroom and social interaction.
Elementary Grade Sample Classroom Tasks:
English Proficiency Level
Beginning
Students respond to verbal directions given by the teacher,
with or without teacher modeling, to straighten up the
classroom and prepare to leave school for the day.
Performance indicators: 7, 8
Intermediate
Half the class leaves the room. Teacher provides instructions
to remaining half to accomplish a school-related task
such as taking a book out of the library or using the listening
center. In pairs, students retell the instructions to peers
who did not receive instructions from the teacher.
Performance indicators: 3, 4, 6, 7
ESL
4
Elem
Students select magazine or newspaper pictures/photographs
that they find interesting. Students ask teacher’s
help with vocabulary if needed. Pictures are displayed.
Teacher describes one or two, and students guess which
picture is being described. Students take turns describing
their selected pictures for others to guess.
Performance indicators: 3, 4, 6
After examining a variety of thank-you notes, the class
brainstorms the language and form of a thank-you card to
a family member or friend for a gift recently received.
Teacher remarks on students’ ideas and provides additional
ideas when needed. Students use this list to write and
illustrate the card, and send it to the addressee.
Performance indicators: 1, 4, 9
Students select magazine or newspaper pictures/photographs
that they find interesting. Students post pictures
around the classroom and describe selected ones, using
details and inferential clues. Other students guess which
picture is being described.
Performance indicators: 3, 4, 6
Students complete Beginning task. Teacher shares a selection
of pen pal letters and points out features of style for a
pen pal letter. Class brainstorms ideas for content of a pen
pal letter. Students and teacher find suitable potential pen
pals on Epals.com and compose and send an initial pen pal
letter. This may be a class or individual letter.
Performance indicators: 1, 2, 3, 4, 9
Teacher demonstrates appropriate and less appropriate
behaviors in class (e.g., taking turns vs. interrupting) and
with teacher assistance students identify which are appropriate.
Teacher develops a list of rules with student input
and students create a poster illustrating rules.
Performance indicators: 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12
Teacher hands out situational role-plays to pairs of students,
who act out the classroom situation in both appropriate
and inappropriate ways after teacher modeling.
Class discusses acceptable behavior. Class brainstorms list
of rules and possible consequences to use in a class poster.
Performance indicators: 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
58 Learning Standards for ESL